University of Montevallo grad Brad Simmons back from New York and on stage

Brad Simmons has performed in musicals such as “Kiss Me, Kate” and also appeared in the movie “Camp.” As a writer, he has co-written the musicals “A Kiss From Alexander” and “A Dickens of a Carol.” (Special / David Garrett)It’s been about seven years since Brad Simmons has been on stage in Birmingham.

Once a regular in Birmingham theater – mostly in musicals such as “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “The World Goes Round” – Simmons moved to New York in 2003, where he has been mostly writing, directing and teaching.

DETAILSWhat: Brad Simmons in concertWhere: The Martha Moore Sykes Studio at the Virginia Samford Theatre, 1116 26th St. SouthWhen: Friday at 10 p.m., following a 7:30 p.m. performance of “Grey Gardens”Tickets: $10; call 251-1206, where you can also get tickets to “Grey Gardens,” which runs through Sunday

But when Dane Peterson called him and asked him to appear in the musical “Grey Gardens,” playing the role of accompanist George “Gould” Strong, Simmons didn’t think twice.

“Dane said, ‘I’d like you to come down and play Gould,’” Simmons says. “I’ve had tons of people say, ‘Man, that’s a role for you,’ so I jumped at it.”

“It’s a piano, singer, actor role, and there aren’t many of those,” he says. “I was the right age for it, and I definitely have played flamboyant characters before.”

Most of all, though, it meant Simmons – who graduated from the University of Montevallo in 1997 – could get back on stage.

“I had not been performing, and I wanted to perform,” he says. “New York knows me as a musical director and a pianist, which is great, but I’ve really wanted to get back on stage.”

While he’s here in “Grey Gardens,” which runs through May 9 at the Virginia Samford Theatre, Simmons will present a cabaret concert after Friday night’s performance in the Martha Moore Sykes Studio upstairs at the Virginia Samford.

Simmons has always written and performed rock music and has recorded three CDs.

This show, though, will be a bit different, inspired by a show that Simmons was recently involved with at New York’s Second Stage Theatre.

Simmons was the musical consultant for the show, which starred John Lithgow as a social columnist with a penchant for Cole Porter’s music.

“My job was to listen to these mp3s of Pearl Bailey doing the song ‘Mr. and Mrs. Fitch,’ transcribe it and then transpose it to a key that would fit John’s,” he says.

So while he’s in “that groove,” Simmons is presenting an evening of jazz music for his Thursday concert.

“I put together this cabaret show that I’m really proud of, and I want to get back to New York and get into a studio to record it,” Simmons says. “There’s some cool, cool stuff in it, including some Duke Ellington, some Noel Coward and some Kay Thompson. Just some fun stuff.”